Timothy Goddard

After first setting the scene for the development of IMS Learning Design (LD), this thesis details the creation of a LD test environment, along with interviews carried out with some of those involved in the development, implementation and research use of the specification. The creation of SPONGE (the Simplest Possible ONline Grouping Environment), a new software platform developed in response to the LD interview findings, is then documented. The rejection of SPONGE by teachers in a school environment provides the catalyst for an in-depth exploration of that school and the (largely non-technological) reasons for SPONGE's apparent failure. MegaTech and MiniTech, two explanatory lenses based on the work of van Langenhove and Harré, Heidegger, and Popper, are then created and used to revisit the rejection of LD and SPONGE (as two examples of functionally sound educational technologies) by practitioners.
This research uses a multi-methodology (Mingers) approach, informed by Case Study (Yin), Realistic Evaluation (Pawson and Tilley) and Narratives (Clough). In addition, reflective elements are embedded at key moments in the thesis to facilitate a personal discussion of the challenges faced by this author and which prompted a significant change in research direction.
This research makes the following contributions to knowledge.
C1 A new analysis of why LD has not been widely adopted beyond the research community. [Chapters 5, 7, 8 and 9] C2 The initial validation of the analysis in C1 through its application in a contrasting educational and technical context (Hazelmere School). [Chapters 7, 8 and 9] C3 The in-depth picture of the use of educational technology in an extremely demanding environment (Hazelmere School). [Chapters 7 and 9] C4 The creation of MegaTech and MiniTech as explanatory lenses. [Chapter 8] C5 The application of MegaTech and MiniTech to more clearly explain the fate of LD and SPONGE. [Chapters 8 and 9] C6 The creation of SPONGE as a homogenous and open-standards compliant toolbox that focuses on immediacy and facilitates the spontaneous use of collaborative tools. [Chapter 6] C7 The creation of a self-contained and easily deployed LD test environment. [Chapter 4]

After first setting the scene for the development of IMS Learning Design (LD), this thesis details the creation of a LD test environment, along with interviews carried out with some of those involved in the development, implementation and research use of the specification. The creation of SPONGE (the Simplest Possible ONline Grouping Environment), a new software platform developed in response to the LD interview findings, is then documented. The rejection of SPONGE by teachers in a school environment provides the catalyst for an in-depth exploration of that school and the (largely non-technological) reasons for SPONGE's apparent failure. MegaTech and MiniTech, two explanatory lenses based on the work of van Langenhove and Harré, Heidegger, and Popper, are then created and used to revisit the rejection of LD and SPONGE (as two examples of functionally sound educational technologies) by practitioners.
This research uses a multi-methodology (Mingers) approach, informed by Case Study (Yin), Realistic Evaluation (Pawson and Tilley) and Narratives (Clough). In addition, reflective elements are embedded at key moments in the thesis to facilitate a personal discussion of the challenges faced by this author and which prompted a significant change in research direction.
This research makes the following contributions to knowledge.
C1 A new analysis of why LD has not been widely adopted beyond the research community. [Chapters 5, 7, 8 and 9] C2 The initial validation of the analysis in C1 through its application in a contrasting educational and technical context (Hazelmere School). [Chapters 7, 8 and 9] C3 The in-depth picture of the use of educational technology in an extremely demanding environment (Hazelmere School). [Chapters 7 and 9] C4 The creation of MegaTech and MiniTech as explanatory lenses. [Chapter 8] C5 The application of MegaTech and MiniTech to more clearly explain the fate of LD and SPONGE. [Chapters 8 and 9] C6 The creation of SPONGE as a homogenous and open-standards compliant toolbox that focuses on immediacy and facilitates the spontaneous use of collaborative tools. [Chapter 6] C7 The creation of a self-contained and easily deployed LD test environment.
[Chapter 4]

The purpose of this paper is to propose a way of understanding the resistance shown by teachers to the adoption of some educational technologies.
The Wookie Widget Server is taken as a case study. This has been a long term development project at The Institute for Educational Cybernetics, located at the University of Bolton, and has been used with teachers in a number of implementations. The efforts to enhance teachers’ adoption of the system are outlined, and an explanatory framework is proposed called 'MegaTech and MiniTech' which clarifies the reasons for teachers' resistance to adoption.
The explanatory framework combines theoretical approaches from Harré's Positioning Theory, Heidegger's concept of 'to hand', and Popper's utopian and piecemeal social engineering. Application of this framework indicates that in deploying the Wookie Widget Server with teachers the researchers were adopting a position of power in relation to teachers. The nature of this power is explored by building on Bateson's writings.
The explanatory framework and analysis of power provide a tool for analysis of the adoption of educational technologies.
Increasingly ambitious claims are being made for educational technology. This paper recognises the potentially oppressive nature of these technologies, and provides a starting point for a coherent analysis, which enables this danger to be avoided.
The combination of theories which makes up the proposed explanatory framework is new, as is the application to educational technology of Bateson's writing on power.